Drinking glass holder



y Sept. 14, 194:3. R. F. CLIFFORD, JR 2,329,512

DRINKING GLASS HOLDER Filed April 1l, 1941 INVENTOR.

Patented Sept. 14, 19,43

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE DRINKING GLASS HOLDER Reese F. Clifford, Jr., Berwyn, Application April 11, 1941, Serial No. 388,022,

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a paper holder for use with a tumbler, goblet or other drinking glass, as Well as with a beer bottle or other container of a form and Asize for which the holder is susceptible of use.

An object 'of the invention is to provide practicable means whereby to utilize a paper drinking cup in a manner to produce an attractive and satisfactory holder in which to serve and handle a drinking glass set within the holder.

Iced drinks served in glasses from a tray present the attraction of a frosted appearance of the glasses due to condensation of moisture on their outer surfaces. The serving and handling of such drinks by direct contact of the ngers with the glasses entails a certain untidiness. In removing the glasses from the serving tray to the table, their frosted appearance is in some degree marred by the imprint of the servers fingers on the glasses, While moisture often trickles from the glasses to the table on which they are placed. So also consumers in handling the glasses further mar their frosted appearance, besides objectionably wetting their fingers, or lingers and hands, necessitating use of napkins or handkerchiefs. Every time the glasses are set down or taken up they leave mussy looking wet rings or marks vor small puddles on the table surface, unless coasters, pads or trays are used under the glasses, and these are more of less of a nuisance besides being cluttery and often untidy in appearance due to ring marks on the coasters.

To provide a drinking glass holder by which the attractive appearance of an iced drink as originally brought in on the tray can be preserved, with elimination of the objections incident to the touching and handling of the glass withthe ngers, and one which will add an attractive feature to the serving of an iced drink and be of practicable and satisfactory character, is thereforethe underlying object of this invention.

The nature and advantages of the inventionV will be best understood by referenceto a holder of one practicable form and construction embodying the invention, shown for illustrationvin the accompanying drawing, wherein: Fig. 1 is acentral vertical section of the illustrative holder together with a drinking glass therein. Y

Fig. 2 isa tcp plan view thereof. Fig. 3 isa side elevation of a paper ring constituting an element-of said holder. Fig. 4 is a magnified fragment of a horizonta vsection taken on the. line V4-4 of Fig. 5,

Fig. 5 is fa magnified fragment of the vertical A drinking glass ofy one conventional form for use in serving cold drinks is designated in the drawing by the numeral l. y

The illustrative holder comprises a paper cup 2 in which the glass rests and a paper ring 3 en.

circling the glass, this ring being fitted and held in the paper cup near its mouth or at any appro- .priate distance below its top and being of form, dimensions and character to hold the glass out of contact with the side walls of the cup and from tilting or wobblingin the cup to any materialextent or objectionable degree, while at the same time allowing any moisture which may spill from an overlled glass or which may trickle down from the portion of the outside of the glass above the ring to flow between the ring and glass to the space below the ring.

In a holder embodying the invention designed for use with a drinking glass of a given form and size, it is desirable to employ a paper cup of such proportions as to leave about the upper third of the glass exposed above the top of the cup when the glass rests therein, both for convenience in vdrinking and to present the attraction of the frosted appearance of the cold glass. The glass may rest in the cup on its bottom, or, as shown in the drawing, it may lbe'supr'iorted in the cup by engagement of the` bottom end of the glass with the side walls'ofvan upwardly flaring cup body, the latter arrangement being considered preferable. v

In the bottom of the paper cup there may be a pad 4 of any suitablemoisture absorbing material, for example a disc .of blotting paper, to

" absorb moisture .whichr may trickle down the 'outside of the glass. It is desirable to support sorbingpadin order to avoid adherence of such lso pad to the glassand withdrawal of the pad from the holder when, the glass is withdrawn therefrom. vForjthis reason, there is fitted in the4 bottom of the paper cup of the illustrative holder a paper disc 5 having an upturned peripheral ilange 5 which will afford an annular rest or suppori'ffor-a glass of small diameter at its lower end than the one shown. The anged paper disc may contain the moisture absorbing pad 4.

Aspeciiic feature of the invention is a paper ring of the construction shown in the drawing for use as an element in a drinking glass holder of the character herein described. As shown. the paper ring 3 is a narrow band formed with a bead 3EL around its top edge and shaped to slant downwardly and inwardly therefrom, to deflect toward the glass any moisture which may trickle to the ring from the portion of the outside of the glass above the lower edge of the ring, as well as any liquid which might be accidentally spilled from the glass within the cup. In the form shown the paper ring is slightly iiared upwardly, or gradually contracted toward its bottom. Thus the inner edge of the ring, which is its lower edge 3b, is spaced both radially and axially from .its outer edge 3B, and its upper surface is the steep downwardly and inwardly sloping interior surface of the ring. The inner edge 3b is intended to be of sufiiciently larger diameter than the glass for which the holder is designed to leave a slight clearance between the holder and glass to allow trickling of the moisture down the sides of the glass. If desired the ring could be formed with its lower edge turned inwardly.

For the satisfactory fulfillment of its functions, the paper ring should be fairly stiff, as distinguished from one of flimsy character or readily yieldable. It may be made of sti paper material or as a stiff laminated paper ring. 'By impregnating or coating the ring with wax or a waxy material or parain or other material suitable for the purpose, its stiffness may be increased and it may be rendered moisture proof and readily moisture shedding. Moisture slips o from such a treated ring much more freely than from one of untreated paper material.

The paper ring may be molded from wet stock, or it may be made from wet stock by forming therefrom a laminated web, cutting therefrom a band or strip, lapping the end portions of the band and die-forming the band. The ring may also be built and formed from a previously manufactured paper sheet, though it is contemplated that it will ordinarily be made by lapping the ends of and die-forming a band or strip of wet paper stock. The ring is represented in Fig. 5 as a two-ply structure. The ring joint is indicated at 3c in Fig. 3.

The ring may be made as a band having end portions of the form shown in Fig. 6, which may be lapped and joined adhesively or left separable to permit adjustment of the ring to variation in the size of the paper cup. As represented in Fig. 6, the band forming the ring has a one-ply end portion 3e formed by cutting away a part of one ply thereof, which end portion 3E is to be lapped as shown in Fig. 3 by the other end portion of said band, the latter being cut to leave the slight projection 38 of the bead 3, which projection is compressed or reduced in form to4 enter the bead end portion 3h. In Fig. 6, the reference characters 3d and 3f are applied to portions of the ring band having said end portions to be lapped.

The paper cup 2 may be an ordinary or conventional paper drinking cup. The cup shown is of a known construction for the purposes of a drinking cup and is ideal for the purposes of the present invention. This is a slightly upwardly flaring cup formed with a top bead 2a and crimped a short distance below its mouth to form inside the cup an annular groove 2b in which the bead 3 of the paper ring is seated, whereby the paper ring is not only stably supported but also held from accidental displacement or withdrawal from the cup. It is contemplated that the paper ring will ordinarily be an undivided die-formed laminated band having its lapped ends bonded or secured together, and that the ring will be forced into position so as to be rmly locked in the paper cup with the ring bead 3a engaging in the groove 2b.

As represented in Fig. 1, the paper disc 6 constituting the bottom of the paper cup has a downturned marginal flange embraced by the doubled lower end portion of the paper cup body, the interfltted parts being tightly secured together, which may be accomplished by pressing the doubled lower end of the cup body around said iiange while the paper parts are in the wet state. It will be observed that the paper disc 6 is supported both by its flange and by the annular ledge provided by the upturned flange '2 of the doubled lower end of the cup body. Thus the cup has an annular base and a strong raised bottom construction well adapted to support a filled drinking glass. beer bottle or the like and also to permit the drinking glass to rest in the cup in the manner shown in Fig. 1 without liability of separating the cup body from the bottom disc 6.

With the use of a holder embodying the invention, the person serving and consuming a cold drink holds the drinking glass by the paper cup,

without touching with his fingers either the cold` up for drinking the last drop, there will be no spilling of accumulated moisture from the paper cup, due to its absorption by the pad 4; but even if the moisture absorbing pad were not used the spilling or moisture from the cup when tilted bottom up would be prevented by the ring 3 having its beaded edge 3a snugly tted in the groove 2b of the paper cup.

It will be apparent that the invention provides a practicable and convenient device affording an additional attraction' in connection with the serving of iced drinks, while eliminating the need of coastersand obviating the various objections heretofore mentioned. The use of a holder embodying the invention gives the following advantages among others: prevention of drip, elimination of formation of rings on the table surface from condensed moisture on the bottom of the glass, keeping the hands dry, keeping the hands from contact with cold lsurfaces, and insulation of the glass from body heat. Engagement of the beaded paper ring with the annular groove in the paper cup prevents dislocation of the ring, which centers the drinking glass in the paper cup and allows moisture of condensation to run to the bottom. The pad 4 absorbs the moisture which runs to the bottom, and may also be used to bear an advertisement. After a person consumes a drink in a glass held by the holder, a natural curiosity is apt to prompt him to lift out the glass to look at the interior of the holder, whereupon he will observe an advertisement on the moisture absorbent pad, this subtle method of advertising being one of advantage.

For enhancing the attractiveness of the drinking glass holder,. the paper cup may have its outer surface silvered, colored, ornamented or imprinted or embellished with either decorative matter or advertising matter as preferred.

It is found that even if the drinking glass should t fairly snugly in the waxed paper ring 3,

moisture spilling from the glass into the cup, or

trickling down the outside of the glass from the portion thereof above the ring, will pass below the lower edge of the ring. In other words that there will be no holding of moisture on the upper side of the paper ring. If it should be desired to make additional provision for passage of moisture past the ring, it may be formed with its inner edge suitably notched or serrated as indicated for example at 3l in Fig. 7.

Of course a holder embodying the invention y may be used not only for a glass containing a cold drink but also for one containing a hot drink and it would be of obvious advantage in that connection because with the use of the holder the fingers of the persons serving and consuming the hot beverage would be not only insulated from the glass but also out of contact with paper in contact with the glass.

A waxed paper ring within the sense of the following claims is one impregnated, coated or treated with parafn or a waxy substance or any suitable material for increasing the stiffness of the ring and rendering it moisture proof or readily moisture shedding. It will be understood that the invention is not limited to the particular embodiment shown, and that reservation is made of such variations or modifications in details of construction and arrangement as may be within the scope of the claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A drinking glass holder comprising a paper cup having therein below the mouth thereof a separate paper ring to encircle a glass resting in the cup, said cup having an annular groove and said ring having an outer bead engaging therein,

said ring being adapted to hold the glass spaced from the surrounding portion of the cup and to deiiect downwardly and inwardly moisture spilled upon or trickling to the ring toward the glass.

2. A drinking glass holder comprising a paper cup having a beaded top. and crimped below the top to form an annular groove inside the cup, and a paper ring having a beaded outer edge engaging said groove, said ring extending downwardly and inwardly from the beaded edge thereof.

3.. A drinking glass holder comprising a paper cup having a beaded top and crimped below the top to form arr annular groove inside the cup, and apaper ring having a beaded outer edge engaging said groove, said ring extending downwardly and inwardly from the outer beaded edge thereof and adapted to hold steady in the cup a drinking glass of smaller diameter than the surrounding portion of the cup and to deflect downwardly and toward the glass moisture falling upon the ring. 4

4. An article for a drinking glass holder comprising a paper ring adapted to fit in the upper part of a paper cup to encircle a drinking glass resting in the cup and hold it in spaced relation to the surrounding portion of the cup, said ring being an annular paper band formed with a beaded upper edge and sloping downwardly and inwardly therefrom.

5. An article for a drinking glass holder comprising a paper ring adapted to fit in the upper part of a paper cup to encircle a drinking glass resting in the cup and hold it in spaced relation to the surrounding portion of the cup, said ring being formed with an outer beaded edge and extending downwardly and inwardly therefrom and formed as an annular band with lapped end portions.

6. An article as described in claim 5 wherein said ring is of two plies and one of said lappedl end portions is of one ply, the other end portion having a projecting end portion of its bead to enter the bead of the first-mentioned end portion.

REESE r'. CLIFFORD. Jn. 

